A guide to having a clean wrinkle-free dress
So you have your dress, and it’s been altered to fit the body you’ve been working out for the past 6 months; how do you take care of it in the short time before your wedding? Normally dresses come in a dress bag that’s breathable, if so, it can hang in that for a while. If it didn’t come with a breathable bag then you can either buy one or loosely drape a clean white sheet around the hanging dress to keep off any dust and to protect it. A plastic dress bag that is not breathable could allow mold or discoloration so be sure not to use one. Also, always be sure that your dress is hanging by the straps attached to the inside.
The Steaming of the Dress: A good dry cleaner will gently steam or press (depending on the fabric) your dress and then stuff the inside with hundreds of sheets of tissue paper. Every detail and bow will be exactly in position with the tissue paper behind it. The dress will literally be able to stand on its own! It’ll be perfect until the wedding day. The easiset way to transport it is with an empty backseat; you can simply lay it across.
Typically dresses are shipped from the manufacturers in small boxes that cause wrinkles. If you’re getting married in the town where you purchased the dress, the dress shop will probably take care of getting the dress pressed or steamed for you (most likely for an additional cost). If you are travelling, I recommend having the dress shop ship it overnight (in advance) and have it steamed in your wedding location. If you don’t want to let the dress out of your sight, you can try to fly with it, but whatever you do: DON’T CHECK IT!
If you or your wedding is located in Los Angeles, I recommend Brown’s Cleaners. They are located in Santa Monica on 1223 Montana Ave. They are used to handling unique gowns and dresses and will expertly smooth and pack yours up for you. Make sure that they will have time for your dress, as once they fill up for the weekend’s weddings and red carpet events they won’t be able to fit your dress in!
Brown’s Cleaners
1223 Montana Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90403-1707
Phone:(310) 451-8531
That’s great to know what to do prior to the wedding – another concern for me is immediately following the wedding.
If you can’t drop the dress off on a Sunday to be cleaned, and then leave early Monday for your honeymoon, what do you do with your dress in the interim?
Can it stay in a sheet in a safe place? Is it appropriate to appoint someone to take it to the cleaners for you?
What if a well-meaning guest should spill something on your dress (or more likely, if I spill) at the reception? Is this just completely unforgivable or are there any quick fixes, especially if there is a chance someone else may want to wear the dress?
Or should I just wear a bib and drink only water?
Great Questions!
My answers would depend on the condition of the dress. If it has a stain, say, red wine, get it to the professional dress worthy dry cleaners right away following the wedding. In Seattle I’d recommend Prestige Cleaners & LeatherCare. http://www.prestigeseattle.com
If this entails finding a trusted friend or family member, I’m sure they’d be more than happy to oblige. In most cases, however, you can rest assured it’s ok to hang the dress up in your closet until you return from your honeymoon.
In the moment, I believe you should enjoy your reception, and not worry about the dress. Most likely by the time you’re eating and drinking all of the photos have been taken! If you do spill wine, or something else, gently blot (not rub) with a white cloth to try to lift the liquid out.
As I wanted my sisters to be able to borrow my dress, I was determined not to have a red wine incident; it wasn’t much of a sacrifice to drink champagne instead!
If your dress is intended to be worn again vs being preserved in a box for years to come, you might want to consult with the dress salon or designer. In the case of a silk dress, it may be best to have it “spot-cleaned” rather than running the risk of it getting a little battered in the entire process. It’s worth discussing with the salon or dry cleaners to find the best solution for you.
I hope that helps!